How to Microwave a Sweet Potato
The absolute fastest and easiest way to cook a sweet potato is in the microwave! From start to finish in under 10 minutes, you can use small, medium, or large sweet potatoes and still get fluffy and tender sweet potatoes every time!
Yield: sweet potato
Equipment
- Fork
- Microwave-safe plate
- Microwave
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato weighs roughly 4-5 ounces
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- butter optional
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash sweet potato and pat dry. Pierce skin all over with fork to create vents and place sweet potato on microwave-safe plate.
- Microwave 1 medium sweet potato for 6 minutes on high, turning sweet potato over halfway through cook time. Note: if your potato isn't tender after 6 minutes, continue microwaving in 30-second increments, checking potato after each session.
- Cut sweet potatoes open down center, like a hot dog bun. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with butter, if desired. See Notes for additional topping ideas.
Notes
- Cook Times: Cook times will vary depending on your specific microwave and the size of sweet potatoes you're cooking. This recipe is written for 1 medium sweet potato. If you're cooking 1 large sweet potato, start with a 7 ½ minute cook time. If you're cooking 2 medium sweet potatoes, start with an 8 minute cook time.
- Sweet Potato Toppings: You can't go wrong with a little salt and pepper. Rosemary and thyme would be great savory options, too. Sweet potatoes are also incredible with a little cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and browned butter. For an even sweeter potato, add a little honey or maple syrup. You could also stuff the sweet potato with protein and toppings, like in our Healthy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes recipe.
- This method was tested and perfected using a 1200-watt microwave. You may need a longer or shorter cook time or a lower power depending on your specific microwave.
Nutrition
Serving Size: 1sweet potato | Calories: 122cal | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 478mg | Total Carbs: 29g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Net Carbs: 25g | Vitamin A: 20110IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg